Bella
by A Newsies Girl
Summary: "What could be so hard, in your life, did your daddy not buy you the right pony?" Hey bent over, and picked up a long stick, then smirked as he leaned against it, "Or did your maid, forget to put sugar in your tea?"


**A/N: I hope you like this chapter. It's something I came up with one night, and if you like it, I will add more to it...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Newsies.**

**Bella **

**Chapter One – Good Bye Life**

_'Chin up. Shoulders back. Chest out. Don't slouch. Always let him do the talking. Never argue with him. Don't marry someone beneath your standing. Pinky out, while drinking tea. Ankles crossed when you sit. Don't do this, don't do that, blah, blah, blah!'_

I stared down into the ocean, tears burning my eyes, thinking about nothing but the freedom my death would bring. I had my arms wrapped around the railing, as I stood on the edge of the 'Brooklyn Bridge', at twelve o'clock midnight. The water below tempting me, the longer I stared into the darkness.

For the last sixteen years, it had always been doing everything properly, from getting dressed in the morning to something as simple as reading a book. Heavens forbid, that a gentlemen knew I had a brain, according to my mom men liked dumb girls. According to her, a woman should always have a man at her side, and a pin in her purse. I have no idea why, but mother knows best (yeah right).

Now here I was standing, in my heavy ballgown, and hair all pulled to the top of my head ready to end it all. It would be the perfect death, my dress would sink straight to the bottom, and no one would ever find my body.

_'What ever happened to your daughter, Antoinette Beronice, Mrs. Baker?' _They would ask mother, as the women sat in a circle, sipping there tea.

_'Oh, she's studying over seas, in Paris. You know they have the best finishing school, in all the world," _Mother probably would reply, heavens forbid people finding out, that the youngest daughter would commit such a sinful act.

"Miss?"

I almost slipped off the edge, when a voice came up behind me, frightening me. I tensed when I felt arms wrap around from behind me, and pull me hard enough, to cause us both to fall down. I closed my eyes, not even trying to get up, "So this is how it will end instead?" I had over heard my father, discussing to his friends, about a man wondering around New York, attacking young woman at night.

"How what ends, exactly?" The boy was pulling me to my feet, and when I opened my eyes, I could see the confusion in his eyes.

I rolled my eyes, obviously not believing, this guy thought I was dumb not to know what he was after, "As if you didn't know."

He glared at me, running a finger through his hair, "Hey miss, all I know is I saved your life, you know you would had been dead if you slipped?"

I laughed at the irony, "That was the plan, which you seemed to have foiled," I shook my head, not knowing exactly why I was actually conversing with this guy, "Now if you don't mind, please leave."

"What could be so hard, in your life, did your daddy not buy you the right pony?" Hey bent over, and picked up a long stick, then smirked as he leaned against it, "Or did your maid, forget to put sugar in your tea?"

"Why I never," I got ready to slap him, but stopped myself as I thought, before looking back at him, "So that's how you see me, when you look at me, just some poor little rich girl crying over not getting her way?"

"Well obviously your not poor, miss," He pointed at the gown I was wearing.

"Well, believe it or not, I have problems that go beyond getting what I want," I rested my arms on the edge of the bridge, as I stared out into the darkness.

"Why don't you enlighten me?" He sat on the ground beside where I stood, and leaned back as he looked at me, obviously waiting for me to continue.

I sighed, as I thought about the best way to explain things, "Since I was born, every detail of my life had been planned out, without even giving me a choice. From what material my booties would be, to the man who I was planned to marry, when I turned sixteen, and I just got tired of living like that."

"Kinda like, how all you people, assume that us Newsies, are just a bunch of street rats with no brains," He was talking more to himself, but it sounded like he got the point. "Why don't you just pretend you died, and go somewhere else, to live your own life."

"What do you mean?" I sat down beside him, half my dress covering his legs, in the process.

He laughed behind a cough, when my dress covered his legs, before looking at me, "Leave them something to find, which only you would wear, and let the police do the rest."

I looked on either side of me, before pulling myself back up, "How about my dress?"

He actually blushed, as he removed his coat, and held it out towards me, "That would do, but put the coat on to cover your top, I am assuming you have a petticoat underneath, covering your legs."

"A lady always wears a slip," I tried to unfasten my dress, but blushed when I realized I couldm't reach the zipper, "You wouldn't mind giving me a hand, I can't reach the zipper," I turned so my back was facing him, when he turned to help. The dress fell into a heavy heap, around my ankles, and then I felt something wrap around my shoulder. I turned and smiled at the back of the guy, as I buttoned the few buttons of the coat, before tapping him on the shoulder. "Thank you, -"

"The names, Skittery," He informed, as he looked at me, "Figures you would wear a whole other dress underneath."

I shook my head, trying not to laugh, "This is a slip, not a dress."

"Oh, I guess the girls I know, don't wear those kind of slips," He looked at my hair, and then started removing the pins, "I don't want anyone to know, how uppity you really are, or they might think I kidnapped you." As he removed the last pin, blonde curls came cascading down, falling past my waist, "You sure have a lot of hair."

"Yeah, don't remind me," I mumbled, quickly braiding it to the side.

"You could sale it to a barber, who makes wigs," Skittery suggested, as he held the tip of my braid in his hand, "But don't cut all of it, it's too pretty to do that."

"Why would I need to sale my hair?" I asked, as I looked around, noticing the sky getting lighter, "I don't know about you, but acts of sin wears me out."

He laughed, thankfully getting the joke, unlike the young men I tried talking to, who would had refereed for my parents, to probably seek help for me, "You're funny, you know that. Let me get you to the 'Lodging House', there's beds available there. I need to sleep at least a couple hours."

"Alright," I answered, as I followed him along the street, "So what were you doing in, Brooklyn?"

"I was checking on my brothers, you'll meet them if your still around in a week," He answered, doing tricks with his stick, as we walked.

"I have five brother, and two sisters," I answered, without any attachment, since I never really talk to them.

"That's a lot of kids to take care of," Was all he said, before quickly pulling me into an alley, and shoving me up against the wall, "Shhh, a bull is coming, if they find us I'll be sent to the refuge, and you'll be brought back home." He must had thought I would scream, because I never heard a guy explain there actions, so quick before.

"I'll be quiet, I whispered," He stared down at me, his chocolate eyes, gazing straight into my own crystal one.

He started leading me down the street, once he probably figured it was safe enough, "So with so many brothers, and sisters, why did you run away?"

"They were my half siblings that I never met, they were from my father's previous marriage. They're all in there late twenties, and thirties," I answered, trying to think of something, to change the subject, "So is it alright, that I go to this 'Lodging' place with you?"

He laughed, as he walked into a large brick building, and held the door open for me, "Well this is home, sweet home."

I noticed that all the guys, who had been in the room, removed there hats as they stared at me. I grabbed onto Skittery's arm, without even realizing it, "Maybe this wasn't a good-"

Skittery cut me off before walking to the the counter, and writing something into the large book, "You'll be fine, don't worry. None of the guys are going to hurt you."

"Okay," I smiled, as I turned to face everyone, "Hello, my name is Angel-"

"You might want to come up with a nickname, in case someone tried to look for you here," He handed me a pen, and pointed to the open book on the counter."

I walked over to the book, and then thought of a name, and then turned to face the others when I came up with a name. "I'm ready to be introduced."

Skittery walked back over to the book, and read what I wrote, and then smiled, "Bella?"

"My late grandfather, he use to call me that all the time, when I was a little girl," I answered, as I remembered, "He was the only person I could really be myself with."

"It's Italian, it means beautiful, right?" A boy with black curly hair asked, leaning against the wall, behind where I was standing. He took a step towards me, and reached out his hand, "I'm Itey."

"Nice to meet you, Itey," I shook his hand, before everyone else crowded around, and introduced themselves.

Skittery, pulled me to the side, after everyone had introduced themselves. "I'll show you to your bunk," he explained, as he started up the stairs.

'Here's to a new life, Bella,' I said to myself, as I followed my rescuer.

**A/N: I know this is a short chapter, and I hope you like it, because I had fun writing this chapter. Please tell me what you think, would really like your feed back. Read & Review!**


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